Finally
by Shachimin
Summary: [Spoiler Warning: Takes place after Chapter 281 of the Manga] A short piece on Gaara's first night falling asleep without Shukaku. first submitted Fanfic  Please R


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; the series is owned and created by Masashi Kishimoto-sensei

Finally, after all those restless nights, Sabaku no Gaara will at last be able to close his eyes and succumb to sleep. The Akatsuki had managed to extract Shukaku from inside of him; he would've been dead if it weren't for the elder Chiyo. However he had still managed to retain his ability to control sand, of which he was thankful as the Kazekage of the hidden sand village. After all, he won't let those rebels run amuck before he had returned the favour to Naruto and his friends.

But now, after returning from a near death experience and seeing off Naruto and his team; Gaara's siblings Kankurou and Temari had insisted that he remain in his private quarters and rest while they took command in his absence. Gaara found himself alone in his dark room, his eyelids starting to feel heavy, out of habit he tried to resist; feeling apprehensive as to what might happen if he were to close his eyes and drift to sleep.

He didn't want to be alone; he wished someone were by his side to comfort him. But he couldn't. He still couldn't reach out and ask for help, not only because of his past but because he was now the Kazekage. What would his people think if they knew that they're leader was afraid of falling asleep? How can they put their trust in a man who cannot even protect himself let alone his people? He mustered up his courage and resisted the urge to call out to one of his siblings; he would get through this on his own. For his people, he will strive to be a strong leader. That was the dream Naruto had given him; the dream to have his existence needed, to be accepted by his village and find his place in life.

Night had dawned on the desert. And all the hustle and bustle had come to an abrupt halt as the people made their way into their homes, calling it a day. All that was left was the sound of the howling wind, carrying the sweet scent of the night. Gaara had left his window open. He didn't mind the chill; he usually welcomed it as it always made him feel sharp and awake. His eyes darted around the sparse room; a chest was at the foot of his bed where his robes and towels were kept. Other than that there was a round marble table with a bulky ornate chair next to it.

Gaara took a deep breath, followed by another. His breathing was becoming deeper and more rhythmic, a sign that his body was slowly succumbing to the magic of the night, any minute now, the world around him will turn black and he'll be damned if he knew what will happen after. He turned on his side and looked out across his window. The village was quiet tonight, too quiet.

_Damn…_

Kankurou, Temari and Baki had just finished going through the final security checks. During Gaara's kidnapping members of the old faction in the council had been itching to grab a chance at the position of Kazekage. Baki knew that many of the council members were rotten to the core and still do not accept Gaara as their leader but for them to show their greed for power so unabashedly and in a time of crisis was more than repulsive. He warned the Kazekage's siblings to keep an eye on their little brother; no plot is too devious for those rotten members of the council. The most important thing for Baki right now is to protect the Kazekage and the people of the hidden sand village. Those members of the council can conspire all they like but it will only be futile against Baki, he will always be one step ahead of them for the sake of the Kazekage, he will even gladly risk his life just as the Kazekage had risked his own to protect them from that Akatsuki member.

Baki: "Temari, Kankurou…Thank you for all your hard work today, please relay the details of today's meeting to Gaara-sama"

Kankurou: "Why the hurry? After what Gaara's been through can't we use this opportunity to let him rest"

Temari: "It's exactly because of what happened that we can't afford to be slack in our duties baka…"

Kankurou: "EH?! Whaddya say?!"

Temari: "…In any case, Gaara might already be resting by now. We should brief him first thing tomorrow morning"

Baki: "I leave it to you then Temari. And with that I bid you both a good night"

The siblings nodded as Baki went on ahead leaving the two to wander in the Kazekage's private estate. When their father was Kazekage they had lived in this mansion, and since Gaara succeeded their father there was no need for them to move out.

From the outside there was nothing special to its appearance other than its sheer size, for security reasons it was made that way to act as a fortress, the building was split into two wings, east and west. The west wing was where all the council members resided along with the meeting rooms and archives where all the mission documents and data are stored. The east side is dedicated to the Kazekage and his family members only, along with some trusted guards. This part of the building was more lavish; it held guest rooms for important visitors as well as a kitchen with its very own staff. Also there were of course many hidden passage ways and exists, in case of an emergency evacuation.

Kankurou: "Should we stop by his room? Check up on him?"

Temari: "Hmm? What a caring brother you are…Try not to develop a complex now"

Kankurou: "It's not like that! No matter what, that kid is only 15! Don't you think he's already had enough to endure with! Why does all this shit keep happening to him?!"

Temari: "Humph…You sound just like that little Blondie boy. 'Why does it always have to be him?! Hasn't he suffered enough?' I guess he understands Gaara the most, more than us even. How pathetic"

Kankurou: "Temari…You…"

Temari: "What have we been doing these last 15 years Kankurou…? I sometimes wonder if we have any right to forget the past and be by Gaara's side. I'm glad that Gaara was finally able to change the way he sees himself, that he is finally able to slowly find his meaning in living, but do we have the right to include ourselves in his new found happiness Kankurou? We never did anything for him. We're so pathetic…_sob_"

Kankurou laid his hand on his sister's shoulder. Temari then threw herself at her brother's chest and wept years' worth of tears. Kankurou was taken aback by his sister's sudden emotional outburst; she wasn't the type to show her vulnerable side, not even to her family.

Kankurou: "Oi Temari…get it together now, I don't think Gaara has ever though that we shouldn't be a part of his life. He's matured a lot after meeting Naruto. He needs us now more than ever, Temari"

Temari looked up at her brother questioningly, waiting for an explanation. Kankurou felt exasperated at his sister. He rolled his eyes and continued.

Kankurou: "He needs us to support him, not just as the Kazekage but as our little brother who had just been reborn into the world. His social skills aren't that great, you could even say he's shy, but that guy wants to be needed he wants us to reach out to him. Don't tell me you plan on letting him down now?"

Temari shook her head vehemently and took a step back, trying to gain some composure. She straightened her posture and flashed her brother a smile.

Temari: "I don't think there's much you can help him with though, in terms of social skills"

Kankurou: "Are you trying to pick a fight? I deserve thanks here"

Temari: "teehee…Let's go check on our little brother, shall we?"

Kankurou: "humph…Whatever. Now that I think about it, Gaara couldn't sleep before could he? Because of Shukaku"

At Kankurou's comment both siblings came to a sudden stop. They looked each other in the eye with a feeling of dread in the pit of their tummies.

Temari: "So that means…"

Kankurou: "…tonight is…"

Temari & Kankurou: "HIS FIRST!"

The siblings made a dash through corridor after corridor, over flights of stairs until they had finally reached Gaara's room. By then, they were already panting for breath; leaning against the immense door handles. How could such an obvious fact slip past them? Sure there were the security checks and meetings they had to attend in place of the Kazekage. But still!!

Temari: "…pathetic…_pant pant"_

Kankurou: "_pant pant…_Put a sock in it!"

They held on to each handle and opened the double doors with a flourish. Standing at the threshold with determined looks in their eyes, they marched towards the king size bed before them, all the while imagining what sad sight will be waiting to greet them.

Temari & Kankurou: _What if he's having nightmares!_

The window was wide open which made the room feel chilli; the wind was blowing the curtains strongly. Temari closed the window but left the curtains parted to let in the moon's glow. She then advanced with Kankurou to one side of the bed. They both looked at the bundle under the bed covers; it shifted slightly; allowing them to see the face of their little brother. And the sight of it made them both smile, on the large king sized bed lay Gaara; sleeping soundly with a smile on his face. He was having a happy dream. The siblings beamed at each other and snuck in from either side of the bed. With Gaara in between, Temari put her arm around her little brother while Kankurou lay on his side. Finally they looked like a happy family.

Early Next Morning (At Dawn):

Gaara: "What's the meaning of this? Don't you two have your own beds?"

Temari& Kankurou: _snore…_

_Fin._

_Hello! This is my first submitted fanfic! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it I absolutely adore Gaara!!_

_Please read and review!_


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